California Solar Boom Makes the State a National Leader

November 14, 2014

California Solar Boom Makes the State a National Leader

California’s statewide policies, combined with federal policies, have made California the nation’s leader in new, well-paying jobs in the construction of more solar farms. More than15,000 jobs have been created since 2009. More

Solar Industry is Growing Post-Recession

The solar industry has begun to grow rapidly since the 2008 recession, fueled by a better economy, lower manufacturing costs, increased federal tax incentives, and more consumer and corporate enthusiasm. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that the United States has 16 gigawatts of solar power installed—enough to power more than three million average American homes. More

New Materials Yield Record Efficiency Solar Cells

A team of researchers at North Carolina State University has found that a family of new semi-conducting polymers is key to creating highly efficient and inexpensive solar cells. The cells can achieve a record efficiency of 10.8% with some polymer/fullerene blends. More

New Solar Power Material Converts 90% of Light into Heat

A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego has created a nanoparticle-based material that can capture and convert into heat 90% of the sunlight it absorbs. It can also withstand temperatures of greater than 700 degrees Celsius and is highly durable in outdoor environments. More

More Efficient Solar Cells Inspired By Tinkertoys

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have begun developing a design inspired by Tinkertoys that they believe will improve the efficiencies of photovoltaic materials and reduce the costs of solar electricity. Using dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) combined with a metal-organic framework (MOF), the team hopes to use the structured order of the MOF to increase the range of light the DSSC can absorb. More

1 MW Solar Array in Florida Powers American Manufacturing

Region Solar has built a 1.004 megawatt solar photovoltaic system in Florida that is projected to provide more than one million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. It is currently the only manufacturing facility in Florida powered by solar. The electricity is used by The Visionary Company to produce pans, alarms, and pipe grips for water heaters. More

Dominion Acquires Solar Energy Project In Utah

Dominion has acquired Pavant Solar, a 50 megawatt solar energy project, from Boulder-based Juwi Solar. It is expected to enter into service in the second half of 2015. Dominion is one of the nation’s largest producers of energy and has been seeking to expand their solar portfolio. More

Carbon-Based Nanomaterials Could Lower Cost of Solar Energy

A team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is looking into a way to use carbon-based nanomaterials to increase overall light absorption and lower the cost of producing solar cells. Mike Arnold, leader of the team, says these materials can absorb light from every color in the visible spectrum as well as from spectrums humans cannot see, greatly improving cells efficiency. More

Solar Power’s Bright Future

An energy analyst at Deutsche Bank claims that in 2016, solar power will be at least as cheap, if not more so, as electricity from the conventional grid in every state but three. Even if the federal solar investment tax credit drops to 10%, solar will soon reach price parity with conventional electricity in 36 states, well over half the nation. More